Imagine having to wake up early in the morning, then wake up your kids, make breakfast, re-wake up your kids after they have fallen back asleep due to lack of supervision and make sure they get on the bus to school. Followed by you getting ready for work, sitting in traffic and somehow miraculously ending up at your desk at 9 am. Sounds stressful just reading it.
This is the reality for a lot of women. Even if you don’t have kids. The morning struggle is…well…a struggle. The Monday through Friday grind requires a lot of energy and don’t even get us started on what activities the weekend brings. We live in a time where women are no longer just women. We are super moms, powerhouse employees, fearless entrepreneurs, college graduates and daily chefs.
With all the expectations things can get more than a little hectic. If you don’t learn to manage those expectations with your own personal needs as a woman you can become a victim of burnout. Burnout is the ultimate wave of exhaustion. When experiencing this wave of exhaustion most women become easily irritable, dissatisfied with their work-life, and apathetic overall. We have a few ways you can avoid burnout before it happens!
Exercise.
You already have enough to do. Where are you going to fit in time to exercise? Even if you only do 15-20 minutes of physical activity a day, working out increases your endorphins and will ultimately make you a healthier person. Working out is a great way to relieve stress and tension. If you have a baby, do squats with your baby. Instead of getting into traffic after work on the way home, head to a nearby gym and workout until traffic dies down. Go to the park with your kids. There are a lot of ways you can fit exercise into your weekly routine. Just 2-3 times a week can make a big difference in the way you feel.
Get more sleep.
Go to bed an extra 30 minutes early. Hit the snooze button occasionally in the morning. Sleep is essential to your health and getting the rest you need means your body will be renewed for the next day. Getting less sleep to get more things accomplished does not make you more productive. There are other ways you can learn to save time, but don’t sacrifice your sleep.
Do not bring your work home with you.
We understand it can be hard to get everything done you need to for work, but bringing work home consistently can cause you to bring work stress home as well. Learning to have a work life balance is important. When you bring your work home you can have stress induced health issues like insomnia. Leave your 9-5 at the office.
Set aside some “me time”
This may be the most important aspect of avoiding burnout. There needs to be some time during the day where you are not doing anything for anyone else but yourself. Sounds impossible, right? Well, it isn’t! Even a simple 15 minutes could make a big difference. Find a quiet place in your house, even go sit in your car in the driveway! Anywhere will do. Use the 15 minutes to decompress your mind. Let go of all the thoughts in your head and relax.
Combating burnout requires effort, but you can do it. You need to do it. Your wellbeing depends on it. Continued stress can present medical problems if ignored. Everyone experiences burnout at least once in their lifetime. The key is to make sure you are taking steps to prevent it from happening repeatedly. Take some time this week to pick one of the four methods we listed to combat burnout and apply it to your life. We promise you won’t regret it! Work-life balance is important. As a woman, you have so many priorities. It is time you make yourself one!
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By Kelly Conley
Kelly is the Owner of the Spoiled Writer, a copy writing boutique centered on helping their clients present their skills and talents in a competitive market. Instagram - @thespoiledwriter